President Barack Obama announced new appointees to the Bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform on Friday. All of the nominees are successful and influential in their respective fields, as well as politically connected and well acquainted to the world of money-in-politics.

Combined, Obama’s six appointees to the commission have contributed nearly $750,000 to federal candidates, parties and political action committees over the last two decades, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.

In mid-February, Obama appointed former Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.) and former White House chief of staff and Democratic senate candidate Erskine Bowles as co-chairs of the debt commission.

His appointments Friday round out his six slots on the panel. The new nominees include Honeywell chief executive David Cote, businesswoman Ann Fudge, Brookings Institution senior fellow Alice Rivlin and Service Employees International Union Presindet Andy Stern.

Co-chair Erskine Bowles and his wife, Crandall, have contributed nearly $464,000 to federal candidates, parties and committees since 1989, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Ninety-seven percent of that sum went to Democrats. Only $200 went to Republican candidates, and the rest went to political action committees such as EMILY’s List.

Bowles, who was President Bill Clinton’s White House chief of staff, contributed (along with his wife) $17,300 to Hillary Clinton’s various senatorial and presidential campaigns. Crandall Bowles also contributed the legal maximum of $4,600 to Obama’s 2008 campaign.

In addition, they have contributed $1,000 or more to nearly five-dozen Democratic politicians since the mid-1990s, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis found, including former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle ($16,000), Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina ($11,900) and former U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina ($6,500).

Alan Simpson, the other co-chair of the commission, became a registered lobbyist after retiring from Congress. He passed through the revolving door to become a partner with Tongour Simpson Group, a lobbying firm run by one of his former staffers.

Since 1991, Simpson has contributed about $30,500 to federal candidates, parties and PACs, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Ninety-seven percent of this sum went to Republicans. Only $250 went to Democratic candidates.

The biggest recipient of Simpson’s contributions has been the Republican Party of his home state of Wyoming, which received $10,650. Simpson contributed a combined $2,200 to George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns and about $2,800 to the various campaigns of Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.).

Another nominee, SEIU President Andy Stern, contributed $750 to Obama’s presidential campaign and has contributed nearly $5,000 to the SEIU’s political action committee over the last two campaign cycles, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis found.

The union’s PAC also aided Obama with more than $31 million in independent expenditures during the 2008 presidential campaign. And individuals and PACs associated with the SEIU contributed more than $2.2 million to Democrats during the 2008 cycle, including nearly $75,000 to Obama.

Since 1989, Stern has contributed almost $12,000 to federal candidates, parties and PACs. The top recipient of his campaign cash has been Louisiana Democrat Willie Landry Mount, to whom he gave $5,000 in 2004. Stern was also a registered lobbyist for the SEIU until 2006.

Appointee David Cote, the chief executive officer of Honeywell International, is no stranger to the White House. Last year, he was selected by Obama to co-chair the U.S.-India CEO Forum. The president also recently namedropped Cote as one of his favorite CEOs, as Capital Eye reported. And Cote has previously dined at the White House with Obama and other business leaders.

Cote has contributed around $35,000 to federal candidates, parties and PACs since 1989, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.

Cote is a Republican who contributed $2,500 to George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign, but has nonetheless only given 25 percent of his contributions to Republicans. The other three-quarters have gone to the political action committees of his employers.

Honeywell’s PAC handed out more than $3.2 million during the 2008 campaign cycle, with a fairly even split between Democrats and Republicans. The PAC is currently the fifth most generous committee to candidates in the 2010 cycle, having contributed more than $1.4 million to federal candidates, 61 percent to Democrats. During the 2008 election cycle, employees of Honeywell contributed nearly $45,000 to Obama.

Appointee Alice Rivlin is Harvard-educated economist, and she is currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She is a former vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board, and was also the first director of the Congressional Budget Office and director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Clinton.

Rivlin has contributed more than $125,000 to federal candidates, parties and PACs since 1989, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Of this sum, 83 percent went to Democrats. The remainder went to political action committees such as EMILY’s List, which has been the largest recipient of her contributions over time (at $18,500).

Furthermore, Rivlin contributed $2,000 to the unsuccessful 2004 senate campaign of debt commission co-chair Erskine Bowles, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis has found. Rivlin has also contributed $7,900 to the DNC and $2,000 to the DSCC.

Obama’s final pick, Ann Fudge, is the former CEO of advertising firm Young & Rubicam Brands. She worked previously for General Mills and Kraft Foods. Fudge was also a campaign finance committee member for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, and a bundler who brought in between $100,000 and $200,000 in contributions.

Fudge and her husband Richard have contributed more than $78,000 to federal candidates, parties and PACs over the last two decades, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Of this amount, 97 percent has gone to Democrats; among their itemized contributions, not a single dollar went to Republicans.

The Fudges each donated the maximum $4,600 to Obama’s 2008 campaign, and they also contributed more than $50,000 to the DNC.

The debt commission, established by executive order, will have 18 members total — six chosen by the Senate leadership, six by the House leadership, and six chosen by the President.

Below is a chart of all federal political contributions by each of Obama’s appointees to the debt commission, along with how much of that cash has gone to Democrats, Republicans and non-party affiliated groups, as well as President Obama and President Bush.

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